ANKARA: Chinese billionaire businessman Zhong Shanshan has replaced India’s Mukesh Ambani to become Asia’s richest person with a worth of nearly $77.8 billion.
According to Bloomberg assessment, Zhong, a bottled water and vaccine tycoon, is the 11th richest person on the planet. “It’s one of the fastest accumulations of wealth in history,” said the report as Zhong’s businesses surged from $70.9 billion to $77.8 billion this year.
Little know in outer world, Zhong, whose career spans journalism, mushroom farming and healthcare, in September rose to become China’s richest businessman after overtaking Chinese philanthropist and businessman Jack Ma by over $2billion.
It’s one of the fastest accumulations of wealth in history. Zhong isn’t involved in politics and his business interests aren’t entwined with other rich families such as the property tycoons, which is why he’s known locally as the ‘Lone Wolf’.
The rare feat for a Chinese businessman comes amid a challenging year that saw global businesses badly hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected over 80 million people across the world.
Headquartered in Hangzhou in China’s Zhejiang province, Zhong’s bottled water company Nongfu Spring Co is Hong Kong’s most popular among retail investors. A school dropout, Zhong worked as a construction worker, a newspaper reporter and a beverage sales agent before starting his own business.
Among his businesses is Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy. It started trading at the Shanghai Stock Exchange in April. Before Ambani, Jack Ma as Asia’s richest man whose net worth has come down to $51.2 billion now.
